The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Motor oil is a type of liquid oil used for lubrication by various types of motors. In particular, internal combustion engines use motor oil to provide lubrication between mechanical components. The motor oil also cools the engine by dissipating heat generated by friction between the mechanical components.
Awareness of engine oil viscosity, engine oil levels, and engine oil change events has become increasingly important to engine control systems. This is due to recent advancements in engine control strategies that use engine oil for precise timing. Such control strategies include, for example, cam phasing, active fuel management, and two-step valve actuation. Implementing multiple systems, one for each of the detection of engine oil viscosity, the detection of engine oil levels, and the detection of an engine oil change event can be complex and expensive.